


James Rubeus Potter - or what Hagrid would have deserved

by Madamegoethe



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Hagrid deserved so much more, Harry Potter Next Generation, I felt that Hagrid really deserved that, it's not that I hate snape or dumbledore i just..., just a little one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 10:25:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14282898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madamegoethe/pseuds/Madamegoethe
Summary: What if Harry had not named his son after Albus and Severus but after the one man who stood beside him all these years without wanting anything from him?What if, years after the battle of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid received a letter that invited him to the christening of Harry's and Ginny's son "James Rubeus Potter"?





	James Rubeus Potter - or what Hagrid would have deserved

**Author's Note:**

> I've been itching to post something HP-related for ages since that is actually the first fandom I've ever been in - but my 90+ pages bullshit isn't just quite there yet.  
> So this came into my mind one evening.  
> Hey, I'm not a Snape or Dumbledore-Hater, despite all their faults  
> I just...this is a different take and I think that Hagrid deserves so, SO much love because he really just cared for Harry from the get-go, no questions asked.  
> So that's my little contribution, my thank you, my nod to the loveliest half-giant ever

Eleven years had gone by since the end of the second great war, and nine since Harry had last visited Hogwarts.  
Or Hagrid’s hut.  
He had tried to explain it to him, half a year later, in a letter. Words, whole sentences had been crossed out, half of the letter black with ink but Hagrid understood nevertheless; It caused him too much pain to return to the place that had been his childhood, his home growing up, his safe haven, despite all the attacks he had had to endure. He wasn’t able to face it, destroyed, reminding him of all the loss. Not yet.

So Hagrid was very surprised indeed when he heard the knocking of a beak on his window one day, turned around and recognised Hedwig, Harry’s white Snow Owl  
“Now tha’s sumthin’” he murmured, opening the window and offering her a few owl treats and a place to rest on his armchair while he unravelled the roll of official-looking parchment she had offered him on her outstretched leg  
“Dear Hagrid” it read “We, Ginevra Molly and Harry James Potter, are very pleased to announce the birth of our son, James Rubeus Potter, and would hereby like to invite you to the christening and legally-binding godparent ceremony on the 4th of April. It will take place at 11 am at the Burrow and we would be very happy if you could attend. Please RSVP. Yours, Harry, Ginny, and little James Rubeus”

Attached was a moving photo of the three of them, Harry looking much older than Hagrid had seen him and, Hagrid shivered a little, more like James than ever before. Ginny had really grown into a woman now and was holding a happily smiling baby up towards the camera. He had the same jet-black and unruly hair as his dad, even now, and, this seemed to go on, his mothers eyes.

As Hagrid read the letter again, unable to believe his own eyes, he suddenly heard someone sniffing. And then realised that that someone was him.  
“I jus’ can’t believe it” he murmured to himself and shoved the letter into Fang’s weary old face “’ere Fang, look! Harry has written, can ye believe it? An he…and he…no, he can’t want me to, nah, tha’s absurd, I’m jus’, I mean…”

But he taped the picture carefully to the wall above his dinner table and folded the letter neatly before pocketing it safely and sat down to think. With a big tankard of mead.  
An hour later, he had decided.  
Shakily and still unsure, he wrote his answer to Harry and Ginny

“Dear Harry,  
It’s great hearing from you again and I am very happy for you. Your little boy looks just like you. Except the eyes. He’s got his mothers eyes. I guess you will never stop hearing that now, will ya?  
I am very honoured that you invited me and I don’t have the words to say what it means to me that you named your son after me, as well – you know I’m not good with them words.  
Of course I’ll come to the christening of the little one, but what was that about the godparents thing?  
Just because you named him after me doesn’t mean I am to be one of his godparents, right?!  
‘Cus tha’ would be ridicoulus, right?!  
It’s goona be great to seeya all again soon  
Love, Hagrid

PS: I might have overfed Hedwig a bit. Well, she might 'ave nipped a bit on me Brandy. Just so you know”

when Harry got the letter, he smiled and showed it to Ginny, wordlessly. She smiled and shook her head, then said “best talk to him in private when he arrives, won’t you, darling?!”  
He folded the letter in half, stored it in the breast-pocket of his shirt, nodded and kissed his wife on the nose, then went to look after their son while Ginny and Mrs. Weasley continued to fight over the decorations (Ginny wanted clean and modern, Molly wanted loads of flowers and whizzing lights)

Hagrid appeared half a mile away from the burrow via portkey at half past 9, and, to his surprise, Harry was already there to great him.  
“How’dcha?” Hagrid roared, blinking at the now adult man standing in front of him  
Harry grinned “short talk with McGonagall, portkeys provided and such. Had to repay the favour, for once. Now I’m fetching you. Thank’s so much for coming and it’s great to see you again!”  
Hagrid couldn’t speak, so he caught Harry in one of his bone-crushing hugs while he murmured “shouldn’t have..really”  
Harry felt transported back and he was glad that they had these moments alone to themselves.  
Making a mental note to thank his brilliant wife, he wiped his eyes and suggested “shall we walk to the Burrow..slowly?”  
Hagrid was sniffling heavily but nodded

After a minute of silence, Hagrid asked “Why me?”  
Harry looked at him, truly taken aback, and stopped walking “What…you really don’t know?!” he asked  
Hagrid just looked at him, his kind, beedy black eyes shining  
“Hagrid” Harry sighed “before I’ve known Dumbledore, a great idol of mine, even though he made many mistakes, before I met Sirius, my godfather and my father’s best friend, who also wasn’t an innocent soul, before I found out about Snape’s true role…you were there for me. You got me out of my parents ruined house when I was a baby and brought me to safety, you came and delivered the message to me that I was a wizard against all odds when I was so incredibly miserable and caught up on an island with the Dursleys. You introduced me into the wizarding world, taking me shopping for my school things, you gave me Hedwig. In fact, you were always there for me, and not because of who I was, because I was the famous Harry Potter, because you might gain something from me one day, because I was a pawn in a play of yours, no. Just…just because that’s you. That's how you are. And I’m sorry I haven’t been in contact these last few months as much as I should have been but…”  
“Ah” Hagrid waved and sniffled “You..never..mind..had bigger things to..to…”

“Hagrid?” Harry asked, quite obviously concerned for the state of his friend  
“’m f-fine” the half-giant sobbed “’s jus’…I know I did so many things wrong, what with Norbert and…and all, and you talk about me as if..as if I had been some kind of..f..father” he started sobbing now  
Harry carefully reached up and patted Hagrid’s back, trying to hug him  
“And that’s exactly what you were for me, Hagrid!” he murmured “Look, you’re the best friend, the most loyal person anyone could ever ask for – Ginny and I discussed this a lot and we agreed on you and Lupin for our first son’s godparents”  
Hagrid’s eyes went wide and Harry laughed, saying “Yeah I know, a werewolf and a half-giant who loves to have dangerous magical animals for pets; not exactly the normal choice, is it?! But when, exactly, have any of us been normal?” Harry grinned at Hagrid and said, shaking him slightly “Hey! I KNOW you would never subject our son to anything dangerous and that you will be a fierce, caring and loyal guardian. So…will you accept?”  
And, finally, a grin spread across Hagrid’s tear-stained face and he hugged Harry once more, though this time, a tad more careful  
“Of course I will and the lil’ one will get ter play with new animals ev’ry month, I promise ye…only age-appropriate ones, of course!” he added, beaming

“We’ll start with flobberworms, right?!” Harry laughed and Hagrid grinned guiltily  
“Shall we?” Harry asked and pointed towards the Burrow “it’s almost time”  
“Oh…Oh I…yes, yes of course” Hagrid suddenly got very serious and tried to righten his orange mole overcoat and flatten his hair  
Harry only smiled and led him towards the tent that had been erected in front of the Burrow

It seemed that Ginny got her will, for she was as fierce as her mother. It was a tasteful, white linen tent, with only some fair lights floating around outside and, as they stepped inside, Hagrid spotted white lilys everywhere – no doubt a tribute to Harry’s mother.  
Harry showed Hagrid to his seat in the front row, right next to Remus Lupin, who smiled at him warmly and nodded.

Then, the parents stood upfront behind what looked like a large pensieve.  
Soon enough, an enchanting melody arose, like the song of a phoenix, and all heads turned.  
The grandparents, Molly and Arthur, had the honour to carry the child forward and hand it over to the parents who cradled it lovingly in their arms and kissed his tiny little head.  
Then, Kingsley Shacklebolt stood

“We have gathered here today to christen this child and to bless it with his godparents. Will the chosen Godparents please step forward?”  
Lupin and Hagrid rose  
Kingsley spoke again “Ginevra Molly Potter and Harry James Potter, both of you have chosen, of your own free will and in accordance, given the name of “James Rubeus” to your son, and wish him to be christened in the name of Merlin and all of wizardkind, so that he may be blessed with love, good magic and family and friends to protect him for all his life?”  
“By Merlin, we did” the two of them replied in unison  
Kingsley held his wand to the forehead of little James Rubeus until it began to glow hot-white.  
Molly sobbed into Arthur’s shoulder and Harry held Ginny’s hand very tightly, while little James Rubeus giggled and tried to grab the light.  
Smiling indulgently, Kingsley let the little one grab hold of the tip of his wand for a second before he took it away and spoke again  
“I proclaim this child, son of Harry James Potter and Ginevra Molly Weasley, officially christened as James Rubeus Potter!”  
A thunderous applause broke out which disturbed the little boy greatly, so Ginny quickly called for silence again  
“Ahem” Kingsley coughed, an amused smile playing on his lips as he looked to the fierce mother  
“And now…the ceremony of the guardians. If you please?” And he bade Lupin to come forth.

Hagrid was glad to see that the former Professor seemed to be as shaken as he was, and yet, neither of them were able to wipe the smiles off their faces.  
To be trusted with something so small and yet so enormous…  
“Hold him in your right arm, sprinkle the water over him with your left and repeat the words..” Kingsley instructed and Hagrid saw and felt Lupin panic – but what was worse, he, himself panicked. HOLD the child?  
It was so incredibly tiny, so naked, so utterly without protection, and he was so big, so…so..  
And he had to remember words, he’d better listen, he’d better…

“Rubeus Hagrid” Kingsley called  
“Oh shit” Hagrid thought and stood on very shaky, big feet  
“Take the child into your right arm and…” he looked pleadingly at Harry, trying to make him understand and, indeed, Harry interrupted Kingsley. It was a whisper here, a nod there, and then Harry was there, right next to him, with little James Rubeus, Hagrid was bending down and Harry was whispering in his ear “Hey Hagrid, don’t be afraid! I don’t remember, but you remember, don't you?! That you got me out of the house and got me back – in a flying motorbike, no less. You’re not gonna crush him, Dumbledore trusted you with his life, with my life, I trust you with his now…go on” and he nudged his son into Hagrid's huge, careful arms.

 

Big, pearly tears were running down Hagrid’s face into his beard as he stared down into this little face and he hardly heard Kingsley’s words because he was so taken with the little boy and how his little fingers toyed with the fur on his coat  
Only when Kingsley said, very gently “Uhm..Hagrid? Could you…please repeat after me?”  
He jerked up and rasped “Oh..oh yes, sorry, ‘course, been just…yeah…what’s that?”  
While Hagrid made his vow to always protect and look after the tiny little being in his big arms, Ginny and Harry looked lovingly at each other, in the quiet understanding that they had made the absolute right choice.


End file.
